Scottish Primary School is starting a running revolution to tackle childhood obesity

Over the last few months, there have been several newspaper articles highlighting the obesity problem in Ireland.

Irish Examiner...Teenagers going under the knife for obesity problems

Irish Examiner...Rise in the number of unfit applicants for the Irish Army (Men have to be able to run a mile in 11.5 minutes and women in 13 minutes.)

In the UK, there are similar problems with obesity in adults and children. Some of the stats for the UK are pretty shocking in that 10% of children are obese at age 4-5 and I presume it's probably similar in Ireland.

In Scotland...a country not noted for lean cuisine...one primary school in Stirling is doing something to tackle the problem. Every day at St.Ninians, each of the students must do a 'daily mile'. This includes the youngest children and none of the children in the school are overweight despite the fact it is rising elsewhere in the UK.

Elaine Wyllie, headteacher of St Ninians, said: “I get at least two emails a day from other schools and local authorities asking how we do it. The thought of children across the country running every day because of something we’ve done is phenomenal. It’s a commonsense approach to children’s fitness, which is free and easy. The most important thing is that the children really enjoy it, otherwise you couldn’t sustain it. They come back in bright-eyed and rosy-cheeked, how children used to look. It’s joyous to see.”

Similar programmes are being rolled out in London and in other parts of Scotland and England.

Are there similar programmes in Ireland???

Kenyan wins Berlin Marathon in 2:04 with his insoles hanging out

One of the big talking points this week across the various running media sites is how Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya won the Berlin Marathon last weekend in a time of 2 hours and 4 minutes despite the fact that the insoles of his shoes came loose from as early as the one mile mark.

These are the six fastest marathon times on record eligible courses.

Fastest Marathoners on Record-Eligible Course: Men
Dennis Kimetto (Kenya)    2:02:57    Berlin, 2014
Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya)    2:03:13    Berlin, 2014
Wilson Kipsang (Kenya)    2:03:23    Berlin, 2013
Patrick Makau (Kenya)    2:03:38    Berlin, 2011
Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia)    2:03:59    Berlin, 2008
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya)    2:04:00    Berlin, 2015

The question that everyone is asking is how fast could Kipchoge have run if he didn't have problems with his shoes? Would he have broken the world record which was 63 seconds faster? After the race, he said...“There are blisters on the left foot and my big toe is cut, with lots of blood”...which certainly suggests that it must have had an impact on his finish time.

As for the shoe, it would seem that it was a special type of prototype racing flat from Nike. Even though it had been 'tested' beforehand, the insoles weren't glued properly and the Kipchoge's powerful forefoot striking and paw-back motion caused the insole to fail and be pushed backwards as early as the first mile. Considering how early it failed, it certainly sounds as if it wasn't tested properly and should have been picked up prior to the race in a short training run.

Results & Photos of the 5km Cork Woodland Race...Sun 27th Sept 2015

This event was held in Oldcourt Woods near Rochestown on Sunday the 27th of September. It was split up into two events with 54 adults going in the 5km trail race at 9:30am while a larger number of kids and parents went off at 11am.

It's a stunning location for a race but as anyone who completed the 5k course will testify, it is very tough.

1    Eric    Wolfe    M     22'56"   
2    John    Lynch    M   Tracton AC    23'09" 
3    Jim    Murphy    M40    112    23'32"   
22    Maura    Regan    F    Eagle AC    28'15"   
24    Colette    O'Donoghue    F    Watergrasshill AC    29'13"   
28    Imelda    Lyons    F         31'01

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) There is a gallery on the Running in Cork Facebook page HERE
2) The organisers have a gallery of the adults race HERE and the family run HERE 

Results & photos of the Evening Echo Womens Mini-Marathon...Sun 27th Sept 2015

As per usual, thousands of women took part in this years Evening Echo Womens mini-marathon in Cork City. The conditions were almost ideal with some occasional sunshine and a gentle breeze.

They usually don't record the finish times of the runners and print out the list of finishers in the Evening Echo during the week with some photos. There will be a lot available online.

The winner was Michelle Finn of Leevale AC who was well ahead of the rest of the field.

1 Michelle Finn (Leevale) 21:26
2 Martina Kiely (St Finbarrs) 22:10
3 Aoife Cooke (Youghal) 22:19
4 Sinead O’Connor (Leevale) 22:38
5 Niamh Moore (Leevale) 23:35
6 Niamh Roe (Leevale) 23:39
7 Carol Finn (Leevale) 24:00
8 Carmel Parnell (Leevale, F60) 24:23
9 Mary Sweeney (St Finbarrs, F55) 25:11
10 Jacinta O’Connor (unatt) 25:20
11 Anna O’Neill (Doheny, F45) 25:26
12 Eiileen Leahy (Midleton) 26:29
13 Mary Dennehy (unatt, F35) 26:36
14 Eimear Tagney (unatt) 26:44
15 Trish Hegarty (Leevale) 26:45
16 Marie Murray (unatt) 26:53
17 Emma O’Neill (unatt) 27:19
18 Eadaoin O’Neill (East Cork) 27:25
19 Jill McCarthy (unatt) 27:36
20 Louise McCarthy (UCC) 28:13
Photos....(Updated 11:30pm)
1) There are 586 photos up on the Running in Cork Facebook page.
2) Kieran Minihane has a gallery HERE
3) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a gallery on the club's Facebook page
4) Mick Dooley of Eagle AC has a small gallery HERE

Lizzie Lee from Cork qualifies for the Rio Olympics after running 2:32 in Berlin Marathon

Lizzie Lee of Leevale AC ran an amazing time of 2:32:51 in the Berlin Marathon on Sunday the 27th of September. Lizzie's previous best was 2:38:09 which she set back in Berlin in Sept 2013 so this is a huge jump.

18     F31     » Lee, Elizabeth (IRL)     W35     Leevale AC         02:32:51     02:32:51 

Lizzie's time of 2:32:51 is the 5th fastest time for an Irish woman which is pretty amazing. To put it into perspective, that's about 5:50 per mile for 26.2 miles.

1    2:22:23    Catriona McKiernan    Amsterdam    1 Nov 1998
2    2:28:07    Carey May        Osaka    27 Jan 1985
3    2:29:01    Sonia O'Sullivan    Flora    London    17 Apr 2005
4    2:31:46    Fionnuala Britton    Zürich    16 Aug 2014
5    2:32:51     Lizzie Lee        Berlin    27 Sep 2015
6    2:32:56    Regina Joyce-Bonney    Scottsdale AZ    4 Dec 1982
7    2:33:28    Nicola Duncan    London    13 Apr 2014
8    2:33:59    Marie Davenport    New York NY    6 Nov 2005
9    2:34:15    Sinead Diver    Melbourne    12 Oct 2014
10    2:34:19    Maria McCambridge    Dublin    27 Oct 2014
11    2:34:49    Monica Joyce        Sacramento CA    2 Dec 1984

The qualifying standard for the Marathon in the 2016 Olympics in Rio is 2:42. The problem with qualifying though is that Ireland can only send three athletes for the women's marathon. For the 2012 Olympics in London, four had the qualifying time but only three could go. It may well happen again that more than three will qualify for Rio but Lizzie's time of 2:32:51 is just over 9 minutes inside the standard. That should mean that Lizzie is almost certain to go to Rio.

Post race intervew...

In the mens event, four got inside the 2:17 qualifying standard.

21     Seaward, Kevin (IRL)     M30     St Malachy's AC         02:14:52     02:14:52 
24     Ciobuna, Sergiu (IRL)     MH                 02:15:14     02:15:14
29     Clohisey, Michael (IRL)     MH     Raheny Shamrock         02:15:35     02:15:35
30     Pollock, Paul (IRL)     MH     Annadale Striders         02:15:38     02:15:38
39     Thornton, Gary (IRL)     M35                 02:17:19     02:17:19 
41     Hehir, Sean (IRL)     M30     Rathfarnham Wsaf Ac     02:17:48     02:17:48
48     Kirwan, Mark (IRL)     M30     Raheny Shamrock Ac     02:19:30     02:19:30
54     Murray, Gary (IRL)     M35     Clonliffe Harriers         02:21:09     02:21:09
55     Hanrahan, Mark (IRL)     M30                 02:21:13     02:21:13
60     Fitzpatrick, Thomas (IRL)     M30     Tallaght AC         02:22:18     02:22:18
96     Hoare, Martin (IRL)     MH     Celbridge Ac         02:26:49     02:26:42
106     Murphy, Brian (IRL)     M30     Iverragh             02:27:05     02:26:59
107     Reed, Declan (IRL)     M40     City Of Derry Spart...     02:27:16     02:27:08

Results of the Castletownbere 10k & 4km run...Sat 26th Sept 2015

This was a first year of this particular event and 150 local runners and walkers turned out for these two runs in Castletownbere.

10km...
1 James McCarthy 38:01
2 Shane Harrington 41:22
3 Vincent O'Sullivan 44:06
1 Geraldine O'Sullivan 50:56
2 Clare Collins 53:26
3 Benedicte Coleman 54:01

The results of both runs can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) John Eagle Photography has a gallery HERE

Results & photos of the Tramore Valley Park 5k parkrun...Sat 26th Sept 2015

The very first 5k parkrun in Cork City was held on Saturday the 26th of Sept 2015 in the Tramore Valley Park and a large crowd of 347 runners took part.

1    Noel BERKELEY    17:02    M    1    Dundrum South Dublin Athletic Club
2    Daire REILLY    17:55    M    2   
3    Matt SHIELDS    18:06    M    3    North Belfast Harriers
26    Helen WILLIAMS    20:55    F    1    Hyde Park Harriers   
27    Rachel O'CALLAGHAN    20:58    F   
33    Eileen O CALLAGHAN    21:11    F    

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Facebook account required to view)
1) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a gallery of photos HERE

 

Notice...Killarney 10 mile Sat 26th Sept 2015

Another race this weekend...a 10 miler in Killarney.

From the organisers......REGISTRATION and ENTRY this evening Friday 25th between 6 & 8 pm and tomorrow Saturday 26th from 7am to 8.30 in St. Brendan's College refectory.
Enter the killarney10mile during these times if you haven't already done so....... register and pick up your tshirt and race number during these times.

This evening Friday from 6-8pm
Saturday from 7-8.30am and come early.
The starting line is at the Ballydowney roundabout side of Port Road about 400m from the school.
Try to be at the starting area from 8.45 for a brief address and 9am sharp start.

Also for traffic on Saturday please try to avoid the Ballydowney Roundabout area from 8.50-9.05 am and the Reeks Roundabout at 9.03-9.12am

More info in this previous post

New 5k parkrun starts in Cork City on Sat 26th Sept 2015

Just a reminder that the new 5k parkrun in Cork City will be starting at 9:30am on Saturday the 26th of September 2015 and it's free!!

The venue will be the Tramore Valley Park next to the South Link Road on the South side of the city. It is basically two laps of a 2.5km loop as shown in the above image.

This is going to be a weekly event from now on every Saturday morning. You can just jog around or use it as a fitness test. If you do it every 4-6 weeks or so, it should show how your training is going.

How parkrun works......It's very simple....
1) Go to the parkrun website and register. You then need to print out the bar code that they give you.
2) Just turn up at the start line of the park run at 9:30am. There is no need to enter.
3) At the finish line, you'll be given a small plastic card/token which is your finish position.
4) Take this token to the scanning desk and give them your bar code as well. They will scan your bar code and take back the finish line token.
5) The results of the parkrun will appear on their website later that day. You will also get the results by e-mail.

Again, the main thing to remember is that everything is based on your bar code. Not your name or anything else. Bring it with you to the parkrun and you'll be fine.

Remember, this is a weekly event so there is no rush. The first one is likely to be crowded but it is likely to settle down after a few weeks.

Press release from the HSE

Cork City gets its first ‘parkrun’...Next Saturday, 26th September 2015 will see the global phenomenon of ‘‘parkrun’’ come to Tramore Valley Park, Cork with a route that will circle the entire park. ‘parkrun’ is the latest in a number of new events set to take place at Tramore Valley as it transforms from the former Kinsale Road landfill into a major regional public park spanning 70 hectares.

The event takes place every Saturday morning at 9.30am and is FREE! It is supported locally by Cork City Council, Cork Sports Partnership & the HSE’s Health Promotion & Improvement Department.

‘parkrun’ is a global network of weekly 5km timed runs or walks in local parks that take place each and every Saturday morning all year round. Currently there are around 700 ‘parkrun’s worldwide, with almost 1.2 million people taking part in events since its inception.

Health Promotion Officer with the HSE in Cork, Clare Deasy said “The runs and walks are open to all ages and abilities, they are free to enter and the focus is one that encourages participation -not competition. There are no prizes and results are age graded. Events are timed each week with results uploaded to the ‘parkrun’ Ireland web site where runners can track their progress.”

Earlier this year, following an initial agreement in 2014, the Healthy Ireland section of the Department of Health and the HSE allocated further funding to ‘parkrun’ Ireland. The partnership aims to empower communities to make Ireland a healthier place to live and in particular hopes to encourage individuals and families to lead an active lifestyle.  There are currently 36 events in Ireland and it continues to grow. Three of these are already in Cork County in Clonakilty, Bere Island and Macroom. All of the Cork runs take place each Saturday morning at 9.30am

Notice...Cork Woodland Race - Sun 27th Sept 2015

This is another event coming up on Sunday the 27th of September. There will be a 5km trail race in Oldcourt Woods in Rochestown just to the south-east of Cork City.

It costs €10 to enter online or €12 on the morning of the race. Proceeds go towards a local national school.

More info including maps, directions and a video of the course HERE

Interview with the great Ron Hill

Ron Hill was one of the top runners in Britain back in the 1960's. He won marathons, he broke world records, he started his own sportswear company and since December 1964, he has ran every single day, without fail — through sleet, snow and a broken sternum.

There was a good interview with him recently on the Oipolloi website. You can read it here... http://www.oipolloi.com/blogs/the-blog/61236355-interview-ron-hill

Winner of Moscow 10k stopped 500m from finish line by police

The Moscow Marathon was held last weekend and one of the events associated with it was a separate 10km road race. The leader of the race Rinas Akhmadeyev had a surreal moment when he was stopped by a Moscow police officer about 500m from the finish line. In a post race interview, he said..."A policeman stopped me for 20 seconds. I was puzzled. I asked them where the finish line was, but they repeated: 'You can't go any further'.

Fortunately he had a substantial lead and when released, he went on to win the race in a time of 29m 45s.

Preview of the Evening Echo womens mini-marathon in Cork...Sun 27th Sept 2015

Although it is advertised as Munsters Premier 4-Mile Road Race, it is in reality a 3.8 mile charity walk/run with a road race at the front of it. If you intend to race it then you need to get to the start early. There are thousands of women taking part and when there are that many people, it is going to be very crowded.

Remember it starts at 1pm.

Course...The start of this race is on the Centre Park Road.

Mile 0-1....The first mile or so is very flat with only a slight uphill around the 0.8 mile mark as the road joins the Marina. This should be a very fast mile as long as you stay clear of the mass of runners/joggers/walkers/prams....etc.

Start of the Marina section near the 1 mile mark 

Mile 1-2.....Dead flat along the Marina. Probably the most scenic part of the run. Again, it should be a very fast mile. If you have started too fast, this is about where you should find out. Pace yourself for the first 2, you can pick it up over the last 2 if you have gone too slow.

Mile 2-3....This section includes the only real hill. There is a nasty pull from the 2 mile mark up to St.Michael's church, a distance of about 300 metres......

Start of the only real hill near the 2 mile mark

You are going to lose some time here. After that, it's reasonably flat with a slight fall downhill into Beaumount about the 2.7 mile mark. Then past the AIB bank and Post office and take a sharp right down Maryville Road. Around the 3 mile mark, there is a very steep downhill section. By far, the hardest mile.

Mile 3-3.8....After the initial downhill section, the remainder of the mile is flat with the finish on the Monaghan Road, near Kennedy Park.
 
....and finally, it is worth mentioning what a significant event this is for the city of Cork. With around 11,000 taking part and many getting sponsorship, it is probably no exaggeration to say that several million Euro will be raised for various charities. For many of those taking part, it may be closest they ever get to any sort of road race.

Update........A bit more detail in this preview HERE

17-year-old girl from Finland runs 2:33 marathon...

Last weekend, 17 year old Alisa Vainio from Finland ran an amazing time of 2:33 for her first marathon. Not only was it her first ever marathon but it was the sixth fastest time in Finnish history. Results

The time is inside the 2:36 qualifying standard for the 2016 Olympics in Rio but she can't go because she is too young! According to International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) rules, both male and female runners must be born on or before 1996 to qualify. 17 year old Vainio was born in 1997. The purpose of the age limit is to protect young athletes.

Here are some of her other race times....
Event    Result    Venue    Date
800m    2:16.65    Lappeenranta (FIN)    04.06.2014
1500m    4:39.49    Kouvola (FIN)    10.07.2014
3000m    9:28.48    Savonlinna (FIN)    16.08.2015
5000m    16:11.87    Pori (FIN)    31.07.2015
10,000m    32:58.17    Pori (FIN)    02.08.2015
3000mSC    10:02.45    Espoo (FIN)    30.08.2015
Marathon    2:33:24    Lappeenranta (FIN)    19.09.2015

Whatever about the wisdom of having someone so young run marathons, it's an amazing time for a 17 year old teenager.

Runner dies in Dublin Half-Marathon...

Last weekend, the Dublin Half-Marathon was held in the Phoenix Park and attracted a field of over 6700 runners. Unfortunately, a 23 year old man named John McHugh died near the end of the race due to what was described as a 'cardiac event'. A similar incident happened in the 2013 race.

While any death is tragic, it just seems even more so when the person is just 23 years old and they have their whole life ahead of them.

The standard advice for anyone undertaking any type of vigorous training programme is that they should get medical clearance first. I would guess that the vast of people just start training away without giving it much thought.

If you have any reason to suspect you might have any type of cardiac issues be it from your family history or any hint of a warning sign then you might consider have a chat with your doctor.

More info on this story in the Evening Herald.

Sonia O'Sullivan statue unveiled in Cobh...Sun 20th Sept 2015

When you look back at the medal tally of Irish athletes over the years, Sonia O'Sullivan was without doubt probably the greatest. There have been many great performances and medals from others over the years but no-one has been so dominant as Sonia was when she was at her best.

On Sunday the 20th of September, Sonia was at in Cobh to unveil a life size statue to herself commemorating the 20th anniversary of her winning Gold at the World Championships in Gothenburg in 1995.

Red FM have a gallery of photos HERE
Colm McDonagh Photography has a gallery HERE

From the Evening Echo...

Results & photos of the Charleville Half-Marathon...Sun 20th Sept 2015

The rain arrived just in time for the start of this years Charleville Half-Marathon organised by North Cork on Sunday the 20th of Sept 2015. Despite the wet conditions, the wind wasn't a major factor for most of the course so it wasn't so bad in terms of running except that everyone got a good soaking.

The numbers were up 22.3% this year with 816 runners taking part which is in no small part due to the work of the race director Michael Herlihy and the members of North Cork AC. This started out a few years ago as a modest enough event. Now that the course is on closed roads, it is considered one of the quality half-marathons in Munster.

1    Ismail SSENYANGE (1)    01:06:04    01:06:02    Ages 18-39  (1)    Male  (1)
2    Ian KIPRONO (14)    01:07:00    01:06:58    Ages 18-39  (2)    Male  (2)
3    Liam BRADY (2)    01:07:03    01:07:03    Ages 18-39  (3)    Male  (3)
4    Ian WALSH (10)    01:09:37    01:09:37    Ages 18-39  (4)    Male  (4)
5    Ben THISTLEWOOD (4)    01:09:47    01:09:46    Ages 18-39  (5)    Male  (5)
6    Colin MERRITT (11)    01:11:41    01:11:41    Ages 40 - 44  (1)    Male  (6)
7    Neil WIKTORSKI (8)    01:11:50    01:11:49    Ages 18-39  (6)    Male  (7)
8    Myles GIBBONS (393)    01:12:49    01:12:47    Ages 40 - 44  (2)    Male  (8)
9    Simon MANGAN (130)    01:12:52    01:12:51    Ages 18-39  (7)    Male  (9)
10    Joe CUNNINGHAM (656)    01:13:00    01:12:57    Ages 40 - 44  (3)    Male  (10)
20    Maria MCCAMBRIDGE (15)    01:13:28    01:13:27    Ages 40 - 44  (1)    Female  (1)
55    Magin DAY (374)    01:20:49    01:20:45    Ages 18-39  (1)    Female  (2)
68    Ann Marie HOLLAND (17)    01:23:30    01:23:26    Ages 40 - 44  (2)    Female  (3)
90    Una PLANT (333)    01:25:00    01:24:55    Ages 45 - 49  (1)    Female  (4)
94    Joan ENNIS (415)    01:25:08    01:25:05    Ages 50 - 54  (1)    Female  (5)
97    Helen BARRY (20)    01:25:34    01:25:30    Ages 40 - 44  (3)    Female  (6)
100    Kim HICKEY (367)    01:25:48    01:25:44    Ages 18-39  (2)    Female  (7)
104    Karina TEAHAN (282)    01:26:04    01:26:00    Ages 18-39  (3)    Female  (8)
111    Florence CURLEY (349)    01:27:00    01:26:54    Ages 40 - 44  (4)    Female  (9)
124    Angela MCCANN (18)    01:28:11    01:28:06    Ages 40 - 44  (5)    Female  (10)

The provisional results can be seen HERE

Update......The official results are now available HERE

This also doubled up as the Munster Half-Marathon Championships. The final results should be available on the Munster Athletics website in a day or two.

Photos...(Updated Tues 2pm)
1) Kilmallock AC have a gallery HERE 
2) Bobby Green has a gallery HERE
3) The organisers have a gallery HERE  ...and another HERE in Kilmallock...
4) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a huge gallery of over 1200 photos HERE
5) Mick Dooley of Eagle AC has a gallery HERE
6) Ireland through a lens has a small gallery HERE
7) Susan Parker Laste Photos has a gallery HERE

Photos...Facebook account required to view
1) Amanda Lee has a gallery HERE 

Video...
1) The organisers have a video of the start HERE 

Results & photos of the Sonia 5k in Cobh...Sat 19th Sept 2015

There was a big turnout of 560 runners for the Sonia 5k in Cobh, an impressive number considering that the Charleville Half-Marathon is on Sunday.

1  IAN KIPRONO            Male    501    (16:16)    16:17   
2 MICHAEL BRUTON        Male    50    (16:19)    16:20   
3 PETER HANRAHAN        TOGHER A.C    Male    596    (16:30)    16:31   
4 BRYAN CROWLEY        WATERGRASSHILL AC    Male    545    (16:38)    16:38   
5 PAUL MOLONEY        Mallow A.C.    Male    487    (16:43)    16:45   
1 AMY ROSE FARRELL        Blackrock A.C. (Dublin)    Female    121    (17:10)    17:10   
2 SOPHIE O'SULLIVAN        Ballymore Cobh A.C.    Female    313    (17:25)    17:25   
3 CARLY COOKE        U.C.C. A.C.    Female    77    (18:21)    18:23   
4 CARMEL PARNELL        Leevale A.C.    Female    466    (18:37)    18:39   
5 SONIA O SULLIVAN        Female    1    (19:05)    19:05

The provisional results can be seen HERE

Race report from Athletics Ireland HERE

Photos...(Updated Mon 1pm)
1) There are 300+ photos up on the Running in Cork Facebook page HERE
2) Derek Costello of Eagle AC has a gallery of over 500 photos HERE
3) Mick Dooley of Eagle AC has a gallery HERE
4) The organisers have a gallery of photos HERE 

Video...
1) Precision Timing have a finish line video from 16 to 36 minutes HERE

This 5km race was organised by Athletics Ireland and Ballymore Cobh AC. The race website is http://www.sonia5k.ie

Nice video here from Athletics Ireland about the event...

7 Year old runs new Half-Marathon record for his age

Last week at the Park to Park Half-Marathon in Waterloo, Iowa, seven year old Jaden Merrick ran a new age record when he finished in a time of 1h 43m 34s.

Jaden starting running when he was 5 years old and set a 5k record of 22:26 as a 6 year old.

These are the various half-marathon records for children according to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians.

Boys
6 Year olds...2:19:48...Cael Schwartz in Surprise, Arizona, on February 1, 2014
7 Year olds...1:43:34...Jaden Merrick in Waterloo, Iowa, on September 12, 2015
8 Year olds...1:43:08...Dallas Stricker in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on March 1, 2015
9 Year olds...1:34:59...Liam Ballard in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on March 22, 2015
10 Year olds...1:29:14...Elliott Daniels in Oakland, California, on March 22, 2015
11 Year olds...1:24:10...Hunter Perez in Houston, Texas, on January 19, 2014

GIRLS
6 Year olds...2:40:22...Rosie Dunham in Columbia, South Carolina, on November 9, 2013
7 Year olds...1:40:59...Makenzie Kolvoord in Carderock, Maryland, on November 16, 2014
8 Year olds...1:35:25...Tabitha Francks in New York, New York, on September 24, 1983
9 Year olds...1:28:31...Tabitha Francks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 1984
10 Year olds...1:25:42...Stephanie Paparelli in The Woodlands, Texas, on January 29, 1983
11 Year olds...1:31:23...Heather Welsch in Houston, Texas, on January 19, 2014

Looking ahead to the Charleville Half-Marathon...Sun 20th Sept 2015

The big race next Sunday is of course the Half-Marathon in Charleville in North Cork. Not only is it one of the fastest half-marathon courses in Munster but it's an ideal race for people doing the Dublin Marathon at the end of October to figure out what a realistic marathon target might be.

Here is the info for the event from the organisers...

Race Weekend Schedule
Saturday 19th September @ Charleville Park Hotel
12 –6pm New Entries @Hotel @ Special late Entry rate of 40 Euro
6pm – Online entries Close
12 – 9pm Race Pack Collection (incl. Number, Pins, Race T-shirt).

Sunday 20th September @ St Josephs Foundation, Bakers Rd.
8 am to 9:30am – Race Pack Collection only – St. Josephs Foundation Hall, Bakers Rd. Charleville
9:30am – Race Pack Collection Closes
9:45am – Half-Marathon participants assemble at start area (For safety reasons, runners will be asked to start behind the pacemakers for their particular estimated pace)
There will be pacers running at the following paces; 1:20, 1:25, 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 1:55, 2:00, 2:05, 2:10, 2:15.....(The most common mistake people make is that they start too fast and pay for it in the second half of the race. Staying with a pacer is a good way to get the first few miles under the belt before pressing on...JD )
10am – Race Start

Water Stations…There will be small bottles of water and/or cups available at each of the water stations at approximately 5.3km intervals along the course and at the finish line.

12pm – Post-race Refreshments and Food…..There will be tea/coffee, and cakes, buns etc. available for runners as they cross the line.
12pm – 3pm – Showers available at the Charleville Park Hotel Leisure Centre, at the back of the hotel, for 5 euro on presentation of race number. Bring your own towel.

Course Preview.......A full preview of the course with maps, directions and photos can be seen HERE

Video of the course...


Weather Forecast...The forecast is for rain on Sunday. The big question is how heavy will it be? Persistent or just showers?

There should be a light wind from the South although it may be more of a cross wind than a headwind.

Tech tops.......This is the design for the technical shirts that will be given out....

Looking ahead to the Sonia 5k on Saturday 19th Sept 2015

The big race in Cork next Saturday is of course the Sonia 5k in Cobh. Here is some of the relevant info..

1) The race HQ is at the Community College near the highest point in the town and the 5km race starts near there. The finish of the 5km race is near the square near the waterfront. You can pick up your race number in the Commodore Hotel on Friday evening between 7-9pm if you wish. You can also enter then if you haven't done so already.

2) This is the schedule of events on Saturday...

a) There will be a kids one mile race next to the Community School at 4pm...

b) Between 3pm and 5:30pm, numbers can be picked up at the Community School and entries will be taken there as well.

c) At 6pm, the 5km race will start near the Community School and finish down near sea level.

Course Preview......A full preview of the course with maps and photos can be seen HERE

The weather forecast is for a dry day with some sunshine.

More info on the race website... http://www.sonia5k.ie/cobh/

Sunday 20th Sept 
a) There will be an unveiling of a statue to Sonia O'Sullivan at 3pm on Sunday...

Opps! What's wrong with this picture??

The launch of the 2015 Limerick Women's Mini-Marathon was held on Tuesday the 15th of September and this is one of the photos released...

The irony wasn't lost on many people who picked up on the obvious fact that there are no women in the photo! :o))


The story was picked up by several media sources...
Irish Examiner
Evoke.ie
Today FM

Running in Cork Facebook page passes 8000 Likes

As many of you on Facebook will know, there is a Running in Cork Facebook page for this website to inform people about new posts. Last weekend, it passed the 8000 'Likes' mark! :o)

It was one of several recent landmarks in that I've just passed the 4,300 posts mark and the site since it has started has gotten over 7.5 million pageviews. When you consider that it is mostly about road races in Co.Cork then that's a lot.

In terms of traffic, the site gets about 35-40 thousand hits per month making the largest running related website in Munster by far.

For anyone on Facebook not getting all the posts, you can change your settings to get the posts to show up properly. Facebook doesn't show the posts from all the pages you follow, only just a selection. As a business, they look for money from page owners to make the posts visible to all the followers.

If you go to the Running in Cork Facebook page then use the tab shown in the photo below and select 'See First'. It can also be useful to put any page you follow into an interest list. You'll see a lot more that way rather than what Facebook decides you should see.

Q & A with Sonia O'Sullivan about the Sonia 5k next Saturday 19th Sept

The Sonia 5k is coming up next Saturday the 19th of September in Cobh at 6pm. More info in this previous post.

As part of the build up to the race, the organisers had a Q&A session with Sonia O'Sullivan...

Q and A

What will it be like to come home and do the Sonia 5k in Cobh? Will it bring a special feeling…

It's always great to come home and run through the streets of Cobh, there was a time when not so many people ran through the streets of Cobh but that has changed recently and it's amazing really how long it took for some people to catch on to the running bug that I haven’t been able to let go of and still continue to enjoy.

Not many people know but one of my very last competitive races that I won was in Cobh – a 5km on the streets of Cobh at the Regatta 5km in 2007, this was around the time that I was starting to realise that my results were not matching my training efforts .

Cobh is a very compact town and the perfect setting for a race finish especially if the town's people come out to cheer everyone on. It's really great that there will be mile races for children so all the family can be involved and you never know someone new may just catch the running bug.

Ballymore Cobh has seen a huge resurgence in members over the past year and it is fantastic to see so many Cobh people enjoying running and all that it adds to their daily life.

Dun Laoghaire saw a lot of women coming to the event. Why do you think it appealed to women?

It was a surprise to notice the significant numbers of women taking part in the DL Sonia 5k, it was so much fun to see so many groups of women come along for the evening and for me to get the opportunity to run back and share the run with them as they streamed in to the finish line. This is a great opportunity for the women of Munster to join in the fun and make their presence felt on the streets of Cobh.

What is the importance of exercise for mothers and active women?

Exercise is important for everyone but I think women can find themselves often bogged down with all the household chores and cooking. It is just so nice to have that escape to go for a run and this is made so much easier when there are regular times and meeting spots where runners meet up and all are welcome. It's a known fact if you agree to meet someone to run then you are much more likely to get out and exercise whatever the weather.

Will it be extra special to have the run in Cobh as you will have traveled full circle from where you started to one of the pinnacles of your career?

I have ran many miles around the streets of Cobh, up the hills and around the back of the island, on the low road, high road, lake road circuit for as long as I can remember on those cold dark winter nights. Cobh has so many great running routes if you are willing to explore so to culminate with 5km in the middle of the town on september 19th will be really special. So many times I returned to Cobh after winning medals on the European, World and Olympic stage and stood on the back of a lorry just wishing I could do a song or a dance in front of thousands of expectant fans and supporters who were always there for me in good times and bad so to be able to lace up my shoes and run through the town is the action I love to be involved with.

More info on the race website... http://www.sonia5k.ie/cobh/

More info about the course HERE

Results & photos of the Cork City 10 Miler...Sun 13th Sept 2015

The 2015 John Buckley Sports Cork City 10 Miler was held on Sunday the 13th of Sept in very wet conditions. It was hammering down at 8am, by 9am the sun made an appearance but after 10am, the rain came back with a vengeance. Running a short race in those conditions is tough but 10 miles is even more so.

1 John Meade        St Finbarrs AC    M    MO    381    54:23
2 Rory O' Sullivan        St Finbarrs AC    M    MO    268    55:36
3 Danny Smith        Ballynonty AC    M    MO    562    56:10
4 Michael Corbett        St Finbarrs AC    M    MO    639    56:27
5 Shane Healy        Tracton AC    M    MO    142    56:46
31 Ann Marie Holland        YOUGHAL AC    F    F40    150    1:02:34
35 Aoife Cooke        Youghal AC    F    FO    55    1:04:58
42 Joan Ennis        grange fermoy ac    F    F50    93    1:05:43
56 Maria Carey        ennis track ac    F    F35    39    1:07:17
70 Mary Sweeney        St Finbarrs AC    F    F55    559    1:08:34

The full results can be seen here http://corkcity10miler.com/results/2015-results/

Teams
Men...

1. St Finbarrs AC 2:46:26...John Meade 54:23, Rory O' Sullivan 55:36, Michael Corbett 56:27
2. Grange Fermoy AC 3:01:13...John Murphy 59:17, Kealan O Connor 59:43, Don Pyne 1:02:13
3. Mallow AC 3:10:17...Noel Daly     59:34, Aidan Buckley 1:04:51, Michael Clancy 1:05:52
Women...
1. Youghal AC 3:19:23...Ann Marie Holland 1:02:34, Aoife Cooke 1:04:58, Deirdre Ansbro 1:11:51
2. St Finbarrs AC 3:39:38... Mary Sweeney 1:08:34, Ali O Connor 1:14:40, Linda O Connor 1:16:24
3. Eagle AC 3:39:51... Elaine Guinane 1:11:52, Sinead Kiernan 1:13:54, Catherine Murphy 1:14:05

Photos.... 
1) Doug Minihane has a  gallery of photos HERE
2) There are 100+ photos on the Running in Cork Facebook page

Photos...(Facebook account required to view)
1) Bernadette Gallagher has a gallery of photos HERE
2) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a gallery HERE 
 

Looking ahead to the Cork City 10 Miler on Sun 13th Sept

The next big race in Cork is of course the John Buckley Sports Cork City 10 Miler next Sunday the 13th of September. This race is organised by St.Finbarr's AC and should get a good crowd.

The race HQ is at the Lee Rowing Club next to Pairc Ui Chaoimh. The race starts on the Marina...takes in a loop around the Centre Park Rd / Monahan Road...back down the Marina and down by Blackrock Castle.

From there, it's onto the walkway by the river and back up the old railway line. Note there is a new finish line this year in that you go around by the Atlantic Pond and finish near Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

Preview.......A full preview of the course with the updated finish can be seen here.. http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/01/cork085.html 

The entry fee is €25 and you can still enter by going into John Buckley Sports, online or enter on the day. There are dry fit tops for the first 800 to enter asap if you want to be sure of a top.

• There will be two water stations on the course, at approximately 4 miles and at 7.5 miles.

• Technical T-shirts for the first 800 entrants.

• The race will be chip timed.

• There will be pacers for 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 minutes.

• In addition to a full list of category prizes, a number of spot prizes will be given to race finishers. If you are lucky enough to be randomly selected at the finish line, you will be told, your number recorded and your prize presented during main prize-giving at Lee Rowing Club.

• Reminder to all club runners that this year, the John Buckley Cork City 10 Miler incorporates the County 10 Mile Championship. Medals for 1,2,3 in men’s and women’s Senior and O/40 categories.

Race sponsor John Buckley with race director Paul Gallagher of St.Finbarr's AC

For more info, go to the FAQ section on the race website which has a lot of info. If anyone has any questions then leave a comment here and I'll see if I can get an answer and I'll update the FAQ page as well.

The race website is http://corkcity10miler.com/

Updates...(Fri 3:20pm)

Registration:
Race numbers, Tshirts and John Buckley Sports discount vouchers will be available for collection on:

Saturday 12th from 2.00 - 5.30 pm at John Buckley Sports, Mulgrave Road, Camden Quay, Cork City, and

Sunday 13th from 8.00 am at Race Headquarters, Lee Rowing Club, Marina, Cork City.

The race starts at 10.00 am

Re registration...Precision are sending an email shortly to all those who registered online, for collection of numbers participants will need to state their name and confirm DOB. For those who entered by post or in JBS, someone from St.Finbarr's AC will send them the same email today... 

Car Parking: The main car parking area will be between Lee Rowing Club and Shandon Boat Club (drive down Centre Park Road and turn left at Lee Rowing Club along the riverfront).
There will also be parking at the southern entrance to the Atlantic Pond by CAB Motors parking area 2.

*****
As for the weather forecast, it looks like a mixed bag for the weekend. Rain on Friday, dry on Saturday and rain on Sunday. The question is what time will the rain arrive on Sunday? The afternoon looks worse than the morning although with the pressure being so low, the rain is never that far away.

The only thing that is likely is a south-easterly breeze...

 It's unlikely to be a major factor early on but after the runners reach the walkway around the 6 mile mark after Blackrock Castle, it could be. That area is wide open and once you turn the corner around 6.3 miles, there is no shelter.

On the flip side, once the runners reach the water station around 7.5 miles then the wind should be behind them. The last two miles will be in the railway cutting and with the overhead trees and steep banks, it is very sheltered from the elements.

The temperature will be in the low teens so a singlet or dry fit top on its own is probably best.

Results & photos of the St.Lukes 5km race in Mahon...Thurs 10th Sept 2015

Roughly 300 runners turned out for the inaugural St.Lukes 5km race in Mahon, an impressive number for the first outing.

1 Conor MCCAULEY (501) 00:16:12 Senior (1) Male (1)
2 Dawid GARSKI (533) 00:16:17 Senior (2) Male (2)
3 Roy FAHY (464) 00:16:25 Ages 40-44 (1) Male (3)
14 Martina KIELY (578) 00:17:55 Senior (1) Female (1)
23 Una PLANT (611) 00:18:40 Ages 45-49 (1) Female (2)
24 Carmel PARNELL (516) 00:18:47 Ages 60+ (1) Female (3)

The full results can be seen HERE

Conor McCauley of Leevale AC and Martina Kiely of St.Finbarr's AC...winners of the St.Lukes Home 5k in Mahon. Both win the top prize of a free holiday accommodation package courtesy of the race sponsor RCI.

Photos...
1) There are just over 100 photos on the Running in Cork Facebook page HERE
2) Kieran Minihane has a gallery of photos HERE
3) Doug Minihane has a gallery HERE
4) Mick Dooley of Eagle AC has a gallery HERE

Employees of race sponsor RCI at the St.Lukes Home 5k in Mahon